Container for a lock plug assembly



April 15, 1969 RKGRAY ETAL 3,438,484

CONTAINER FOR A LOCK PLUG ASSEMBLY Filed June 50, 1967 F IGI FIGZ INVENTORS. RAYMOND K.GRAY STANLEY C.WOLN|AK BY ffi a M1 444, anew,

JAM and 4m! ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O US. Cl. 206-46 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container for a lock plug assembly for a key lock, including a cylindrical body portion having a cylindrical hollow cavity for containing the lock plug assembly. A lip is disposed adjacent one end of the body portion about the inner periphery of the hollow cavity and extending inwardly to retain the plug assembly within the cavity. A reduced diameter portion is provided at the other end of the body portion to retain the plug assembly within the cavity. The reduced diameter portion is provided as a gripping means and is deformable so that the operator can apply pressure to this portion to snap the plug assembly past the lip permitting removal of the plug from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Ser. No. 457,619, filed May 21, 1965, now Patent No. 3,336,774 and entitled Cylinder Lock Construction. As disclosed in that application, a single lock plug assembly for key locks is readily adapted for use in housings having cylinders of different lengths by connecting thereto an interchangeable extension of a suitable length. It is desirable to provide to a user the separate plug assemblies and extensions which may be combined as required, This invention relates to a container for packaging such plug assemblies.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of this invention is to provide a container for a lock plug assembly for a lock.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container for packaging a basic plug assembly to prevent loss of the tumblers.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container which allows for a simple snapping action to remove a plug assembly therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a cylindrical container for a lock plug assembly, the container having a cylindrical hollow cavity for containing the plug assembly, a lip disposed at one end of the cavity to retain the plug within the cavity, and a deformable reduced diameter portion disposed at the other end of the cavity to provide a gripping means so that an operator can simply apply pressure to the reduced diameter portion to snap the plug past the lip to facilitate easy removal of the plug from the container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevation view of one form of a plug assembly container, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the container of FIG. 1, showing in elevation a plug assembly contained therein;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of another form of the plug assembly container of this invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the container of FIG. 3, showing in elevation a plug assembly contained therein.

3,438,484 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION However, the size or dimensions of the container of this.

invention may be modified within the scope contemplated herein to accommodate various lock plug assemblies to provide a container which permits a simple snapping action to remove a plug assembly from the container.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a sleeve-like container, generally designated 10, for packaging a lock plug assembly 12 (FIG. 2) for a key lock or the like to prevent loss of tumblers 14 of the plug assembly. The container has a cylindrical body portion 16 with a cylindrical hollow cavity 18 for containing the plug assembly 12. A lip 20 is disposed at one end of the cylindrical body portion 16 about the inner periphery of the hollow cavity 18 and extending inward to retain the plug assembly 12 within the cavity. A reduced diameter portion 22 at the other end of the cylindrical body portion 16 centers the plug assembly within the cavity. As viewed in FIG. 2, the plug assembly 12 abuts against lip 20 at its left end and abuts against an end wall 24 of the container at its right end. The reduced diameter portion 22 is provided as a gripping means so that pressure can be applied to this portion generally in the direction of arrows A (FIG. 2) and against end wall 24 to snap the plug assembly 12 past the lip 20 facilitating easy removal of the plug from the container. The entire container is preferably molded of deformable plastic material so that the reduced diameter portion 22 will deform on the application of pressure, and also to permit an elastic type snapping action as the plug moves past lip 20.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show another form of container 10' embodying the invention, with like numerals designating the elements identified in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this form, a deformable lip 20' is disposed at the left end of the body portion 16 about the inner periphery of the hollow cavity 18, spaced inwardly from the marginal edge 28 0f the cavity and extending radially inward to retain the plug assembly 12 within the cavity. A stitfening rib 26 extends outwardly from the body portion adjacent the left marginal edge thereof as viewed in FIG. 4. The deformable reduced diameter portion 22' of the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is tapered (or frustoconical) with the smaller diameter portion thereof terminating in end wall 24 of the container. With this form, one can simply apply pressure to the tapered reduced diameter portion 22' in the direction of arrows B (FIG. 4) and end wall 24 to snap the plug assembly 12 past the lip 20' to facilitate easy removal of the plug from the container.

In removing the plug assembly from either of the containers shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, one normally should insert a key K into the keyway of the plug assembly to retract tumblers 14 and to provide a \means for pulling the plug from the assembly. The key is held with one hand and pressure is applied to the back wall 24 and the reduced diameter portion 22 '(or 22) by the other hand to snap the plug past lip 20 (or 20). The body portion 16 of the container can then be grasped and squeezed slightly :and the container removed from the plug as the key (and therefore the plug) is held.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. In combination with a lock plug assembly for a key lock or the like a container comprising: a body portion having a hollow cavity for containing said plug assembly; a lip disposed adjacent one end of said body portion about the inner periphery of said hollow cavity and extending inward to retain said plug assembly within said cavity; and a reduced diameter portion disposed at the other end of said body portion to retain said plug assembly within said cavity, said reduced diameter portion being provided to facilitate the gripping of one end of said container for removal of said plug from said cavity past said lip.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said reduced diameter portion grips a plug assembly inserted in said container and is subject to deformation on the application of external pressure to force said plug from said cavity past said lip.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said body portion is cylindrical and said reduced diameter portion has a cylindrical configuration of a smaller diameter than said body portion.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said reduced diameter portion is tapered inwardly away from said body portion and is subject to deformation on the application of external pressure to force said plug from said cavity past said li-p.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body por- 4 tion is cylindrical and wherein said reduced diameter portion is frusto-conical with its largest diameter adjacent said body portion.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a stiffening rib at said one end of said body portion and extending outwardly therefrom.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said lip about the inner periphery of said hollow cavity is spaced inwardly from said one one end of said body portion.

8. The combination of claim 1 comprising a resilient plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,863,081 6/1932 Bellows 21541 2,551,834 5/1951 Ferguson 21541 X 2,947,432 8/1960 Marcel 215-41 2,980,299 4/1961 Smith.

2,983,467 5/1961 Ret-herford 150-.5 X 3,101,864 8/1963 Glickrn-an 220-60 3,135,418 6/1964 Tracy 220-60 3,332,515 7/1967 Borah 215-41 X DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. XJR. 15052 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20231 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,438,484 April 15 Raymond K. Gray et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, line 4, "Lock, Inc. should read The Illinois Lock Company Signed and sealed this 7th day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER,

Commissioner of Patel Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

